What container for mixing up the 5 L of Xtol stock solution?

[Sirius Glass]

I use a large paint bucket that I have marked with 1 gallon, 4 liter and 5 liter lines. I then use the StopLossBag™ [www.StopLossBag.com] for the stock solution and a 1 liter bottle for the replenished XTOL.

 

[aparat]

This five-liter beaker/pitcher is my favorite. It's very sturdy, has clear markings, and seems fairly accurate. It also dries very quickly.

 

[MattKing]

Sometimes I mix it up in the 4 litre container that distilled water comes in.
Once fully mixed, I can then split it into smaller containers, diluting it 4 parts of newly mixed extra-concentrated developer to 1 part extra water.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Sometimes I mix it up in the 4 litre container that distilled water comes in.
Once fully mixed, I can then split it into smaller containers, diluting it 4 parts of newly mixed extra-concentrated developer to 1 part extra water.

But the better practice would be to add water to 5 liters before splitting into 1 liter containers.

 

[Donald Qualls]

But the better practice would be to add water to 5 liters before splitting into 1 liter containers.

Yet it seems unusually difficult to buy mixing vessels between 4 L capacity and 10 L size. If everything is fully dissolved in your 4 L, there'll be no problem with putting 800 ml solution and another 200 ml of water into each 1 L storage container.

My solution, for when I next mix EcoPro (as an Xtol replacement) is to mix to precisely 4 L in my 4 L graduate, pour contents into my 5 L wine bag, then add precisely 1 L additional water to the wine bag, which then goes into the box. Once everything is sealed up, a few inversions of the box will ensure the solution is uniform before I draw off a tank solution to restart my replenishment.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Yet it seems unusually difficult to buy mixing vessels between 4 L capacity and 10 L size. If everything is fully dissolved in your 4 L, there'll be no problem with putting 800 ml solution and another 200 ml of water into each 1 L storage container.

My solution, for when I next mix EcoPro (as an Xtol replacement) is to mix to precisely 4 L in my 4 L graduate, pour contents into my 5 L wine bag, then add precisely 1 L additional water to the wine bag, which then goes into the box. Once everything is sealed up, a few inversions of the box will ensure the solution is uniform before I draw off a tank solution to restart my replenishment.

And that is why I got a paint bucket which is smaller than 10 liters.

 

[aparat]

And that is why I got a paint bucket which is smaller than 10 liters.

Yep. I got one of those, too. Super useful in the darkroom.

 

[Donald Qualls]

paint bucket which is smaller than 10 liters.

Plastic? Wouldn't want to mix Xtol in a steel bucket...

 

[Sirius Glass]

Plastic? Wouldn't want to mix Xtol in a steel bucket...

Plastic, yes.

Steel buckets are for kicking.

 

[Donald Qualls]

Well, or holding a water bath hot enough to soften most plastics. Which is a use case I expect to have soon, for mixing an propylene glycol based developer...

 

[Craig]

Yet it seems unusually difficult to buy mixing vessels between 4 L capacity and 10 L size.

I use an 8L bucket that originally held ice cream from a commercial ice cream store. l asked and they gave me an empty bucket.

 

[MattKing]

But the better practice would be to add water to 5 liters before splitting into 1 liter containers.

Not into a 4 litre jug!
That, by the way, is how the most accessible distilled water is sold around here.
And while there might be a small error introduced with the method, as the smaller containers are used for replenisher, any such variability will be swamped by the other variabilities in the system.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Not into a 4 litre jug!
That, by the way, is how the most accessible distilled water is sold around here.
And while there might be a small error introduced with the method, as the smaller containers are used for replenisher, any such variability will be swamped by the other variabilities in the system.

You need to get a left handed jug stretcher.

 

[braxus]

To mix up Xtol, I use a 6L orange pail from Home Depot, the pails they use to mix paint in or whatever. The color of mine is orange, but your better off with a white one. Then I dump the solution into a 5L wine bag, and it keeps for a long time in those. To stir, I use a kitchen spatula to stir with. It all works for me, as my mix had produced good negs almost every time. I use distilled water to mix the chemical bags into. I heat the water in the microwave for 5 minutes before mixing in the 2 bags. It helps dissolve it. Let it cool overnight before use.

 

[Sirius Glass]

To mix up Xtol, I use a 6L orange pail from Home Depot, the pails they use to mix paint in or whatever. The color of mine is orange, but your better off with a white one. Then I dump the solution into a 5L wine bag, and it keeps for a long time in those. To stir, I use a kitchen spatula to stir with. It all works for me, as my mix had produced good negs almost every time. I use distilled water to mix the chemical bags into. I heat the water in the microwave for 5 minutes before mixing in the 2 bags. It helps dissolve it. Let it cool overnight before use.

Mine is white. An orange one would make it harder to see if the Solution A were completely mixed.

 

[braxus]

Mine is white. An orange one would make it harder to see if the Solution A were completely mixed.

Im aware of that now. I didnt know at the time the mix would be orange in color for part A, and this was the color of the pails they sold. No matter, as its really a non issue anyway. Never had an issue with mixing the solutions.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Mine is white. An orange one would make it harder to see if the Solution A were completely mixed.

Im aware of that now. I didnt know at the time the mix would be orange in color for part A, and this was the color of the pails they sold. No matter, as its really a non issue anyway. Never had an issue with mixing the solutions.

To be honest, mine is white because that was the only color bucket they sold.

 

[relistan]

In Europe, windshield wiper fluid comes in 5L plastic jugs. They are perfect for mixing XTOL.

 

[gordrob]

I have the orange Home Depot Bucket for the darkroom but it usually stores bottled chemicals heading to recycling. For mixing purposes I use a 5L Pyrex beaker along with a Corning magnetic stirrer. After the solutions are prepared they are decanted into smaller brown glass bottles.